Two Pinay Won Cooking Fest

Who says recycling a Vietnamese recipe into a brand new recipe or should I say tweaking some ingredients to it and the way it is cook, could won an international award in line of culinary arts contest by a culinary student?

Recently, a neophyte Filipino culinary student who according to her it is her first time to be on the international competition regarding of course cooking contests, ecstatically overwhelmed by her winning on the recent 35th World Association of Chef Societies (WACS) World Congress which was held in Daejeon, South Korea last May 1-5,2012. She won the silver medal on the Ethic Asian Meal Category which is the highest award on particular category.

“It is my first time to compete in an international culinary competition. When I was plating, I couldn’t mix the pesto with aspic. It didn’t blend well. It ate so much of my time. I panicked. Good thing, chefs Guia Angkaw and Mira Cruz pushed me and cheered me on. It merged well in the end. I also made sure my plating and presentation were clean and presentable.”

She is Maria Arneli Flores who is now graduating this year 2012 this coming August from Culinary Arts in Center for Culinary Arts – Manila (CCA-Manila) wherein before she enters or pursue culinary arts at Center of Culinary Arts – Manila, she have finished a course, which is Food Technology at the University of Santo Tomas in Manila Philippines; and she is only 25 years old.

According to her, she done many practices, before the competition in order to prepare yet still something went wrong, that is she can’t mix the pesto with aspic, which doesn’t blend well, but however, chefs on their team pushed her to continue what here doing and cheered her that is okay; and viola! According to her it blend well in the end; as if a miracle of her food course which she prepared panicky, have won her an award or a silver award on the Ethic Asian Meal category at the 35th World Association of Chef Societies (WACS) World Congress held in Daejeon, South Korea last May 1-5,2012.

She prepared three courses of three meals at the competition, namely: (1) Vietnamese Spring Rolls, wherein she tweaks upon (2) Stuffed Spicy Duck in Orange sauce with Stir-fried Rice in an Omelette Crepe with Broccoli Fan, and (3) a Rice Cake stuffed with Purple Yam filling topped with Sesame Tuile and Vanilla-flavored Red pearls with a coconut Pandan sauce; which is a dessert course or a dessert for a meal.

The stuffed Spicy Duck in Orange sauce with Stir-fried Rice in an Omelette Crepe with Broccoli Fan on it, is her main course which also won aside from the Vietnamese Spring Rolls which she tweaks; wherein she stuffed first the duck with a sautéed banana blossoms and marinated some meat in ginger, fish sauce (Patis in Tagalog or Filipino language) red chili, and orange juice. Then, she seared the stuffed ducks until it is golden brown.

After she seared the stuffed duck until it is golden brown she baked it on the oven of course, where she will bake it anyway. And then after the duck has been stuffed with Sautéed Banana Blossoms, marinated in Ginger, fish sauce, red chili and orange juice; Seared and then baked; she braised the stuffed duck in orange marinade and then serve.

But however, she didn’t serve the stuffed duck that has been stuffed with sautéed banana blossoms, marinated with ginger, red chili, fish sauce and orange juice, and seared until golden brown; baked, and then braised in orange marinade; with just stir-fried rice and put the duck on top. And for the dessert, she put a simple purple yam filling or ube in a molded rice cake rather than a mung beans or monggo fillings.

Anyway, for the Vietnamese Spring Rolls, which she tweaks, she rather instead put lettuce and aromatic leaves in the Spring rolls and then stirred up the aromatic leaves with mint and basil into a thickly pesto sauce and then the mixture of these leaves which she convert into a thick pesto sauce, she then use it as dipping sauce for the Vietnamese Spring Rolls.

However, she left the Vietnamese Spring Rolls unrolled or unwrapped yet its fillings were expose which are pork, prawns, wood ear mushrooms, crab meat, and vermicelli noodles.

Both of Maria Arneli Flores’s course or meals won a prize or award at the 35th World Association of Chef Societies (WACS) World Congress that was held in Daejeon, South Korea, last May 1-5,2012.
Meanwhile, for another Pinay who has won an award from the recent 35th World Association of Chef Societies(WACS) World Congress that was held in Daejeon, South Korea, last May 1-5,2012,she won an award from the Petit Fours/Pralines-Senior Category of the World cooking fest for her recipe praline recipe, Almond Malibu Globule.

She is a chef-instructor from Center of Culinary Arts-Manila (CCA-Manila), that is, chef May Martinez which she has won a bronze award for her praline recipe.

Accordingly to her, her winning praline recipe which is Almond Malibu Globule has a Hawaiian theme. According to her, it is a Hawaiian theme Pralines because: “I choose it because it’s easier to mix and match the ingredients, like nuts and fruits, nuts and chocolates, and nuts and liqueur.”

The name of her winning praline recipe, Almond Malibu Globule, according to her got its name from the shapes of the recipe itself; that is, globe, bonbons, and teardrop; with Malibu almond fillings and white chocolate base with curacao pulled with sugar to add elegance to the look, according to her.

Moreover, she said it is her first time to join a pralines category in a cooking fest.

“I used to work at Sofitel Hotel and was assigned and was assigned to the chocolate room. That gave me an inspiration to at least try in the praline category.”

In addition to that she says, she has been teaching baking for five years at Center for Culinary Arts, which gave her an advantage to join the praline category on a world food competition.

President of the Cravings Group of Companies ( the food company that conceptualized and gave birth to Center for Culinary Arts or CCA in Manila; CCA was established on August 26,1996 which then followed by the Philippines having a very first formal culinary education program in the Philippine education; Center for Culinary Arts, Manila (CCA-Manila) “.. is an institution which provides culinary education in the Philippines…” –Wikipedia) ;president Annie Guerrero express gladness and moral support of congratulations for what her winning team has achieved in the 35th World Association of Chef Societies (WACS) World Congress which has held last May 1-5,2012 at Daejeon, South Korea.

“I am so happy they won. For me, it is an inspiration to all our chefs and students. We should work hand-in-hand to achieve our goals..”

Moreover, Cravings Group of Companies, CEO or Chief Executive Officer, Badjie Guerrero Trinidad, expresses also proudness, for what their team has achieved on recent world food competition.

“We intend to actively participate in international competitions. The motivation we give then is that, win or lose, we are able to fulfill our mission to globalize Filipino cuisine..”